GERMAN NAVY SEA KING

The German Navy received its first Sea King Mk41 from manufacturer Westland in 1975. It uses the helicopter primarily for search and rescue duties, and for this purpose operating unit Marinefliegergeschwader 5, headquartered at Nordholz, maintains detachments at Borkum, Helgoland and Warnemünde. The German Sea Kings are also flown on general transport duties (including the re-supply of German Navy ships under way), disaster relief missions, medical evacuation duties and for maritime surveillance. The upgrade to Mk41A standard in the late 1980s integrated the Seaspray radar and improved defensive equipment, among other enhancements.